Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
The murderer of three young girls in Southport has been jailed, with a judge describing his crimes as “the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious”.
Axel Rudakubana will serve life with a minimum term of 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7 and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July.
Rudakubana was 17 when he carried out the attack, and therefore Mr Justice Goose was unable to hand down a whole life sentence. However, while handing down his sentence the judge said it’s unlikely Rudakubana will ever be released.
The sentencing hearing faced delays due to numerous outbursts from Rudakubana.
Shortly after the hearing began at midday, the teenager turned to a dock officer and said: “I’m not fine, I feel ill… I need to speak to a paramedic.”
He claimed he had not eaten in ten days, and began shouting: “It’s not my fault, I feel ill… Don’t continue.”
Mr Justice Goose then told Rudakubana to leave the dock, and said he would be brought back in later in the day. As he left the court, a family member of one of Rudakubana’s victims shouted “coward”.
When he did return, he once again interrupted proceedings by shouting: “I feel really ill, I need to be seen by a paramedic.”
When there was no response, Rudakubana shouted: “Judge! Judge! Judge! I need to be seen by a paramedic.”
Mr Justice Goose then asked dock officers to remove Rudakubana for the second time.
Rudakubana admitted all charges on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court earlier this week.
The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the attack, admitted their murders as well as the attempted murder of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife.
During the sentencing hearing the court heard the graphic details of Rudakubana’s crimes, and were shown CCTV footage of his journey to the Taylor Swift themed dance party at The Hart Space on Hart Street in Southport.
Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, said: “The footage shows that the defendant remained silent during the journey but upon arrival at Hart Street, he asked the driver to direct him to 34a before leaving the vehicle without paying, prompting the driver to follow him, making repeated requests for payment, which were ignored.”
The court was told that Rudakubana said “I’m glad they’re dead” as he was held in a custody suite after killing the three girls.
Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, also admitted production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual which he is said to have possessed between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home on Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
Before moving on to sentencing, a series of victim impact statements were read to the court including from class instructor Leanne Lucas, who was injured in the attack.
She told the court: “I cannot give myself compassion or accept praise, as how can I live knowing I survived when children died.
“As a 36-year-old woman I cannot walk down the street without holding my breath as I bypass a person and then glance back to see if they’ve attempted to stab me.”
Merseyside Police has urged social media users not to post graphic details of the Southport victims’ injuries.
The force said: “We are aware of social media posts online detailing the injuries sustained by the girls who died and those injured in the attack in Southport on July 29 2024.
“The families of the little girls specifically asked that those details not be reported.
“The families of Bebe, Alice and Elsie and of all those affected in the tragedy have faced unimaginable grief and trauma in the months since the attacks, and do not need their suffering compounded by reckless posts on social media.”
“Today our family welcome the sentence imposed on that monster, however nothing will ever reverse the heartbreaking events of that day. Our children have been exposed to scenes that no one should ever see and caused unimaginable pain and heartache for us all. Alice, Bebe, Elsie and their families remain in our thoughts always.
“We would like to thank Merseyside Police and the CPS for bringing justice and for the emergency services who attended the scene and medical staff who treated our girls with such compassion. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the public for all of their support and well wishes since that tragic day.
“For now, we need time to reflect and process the events of the past few months and ask for privacy during this time. We will come forwards and speak when we feel ready.”
“First and foremost, we would like to send our love, thoughts and condolences to the families and loved ones of Alice, Bebe, Elsie Dot and indeed the rest of the families forever touched by the attack on the 29th of July 2024.
“We recognise that we are extremely fortunate to have our little princess with us, and we are immensely proud of her and the bravery, courage, and resilience she has shown, both on the day of the attack and since, as she takes the first steps on the long road to recovery.
“We would like to thank all the emergency services involved with all the victims and families on the day, with special thanks reserved for the police officer who personally took vigilant care of our daughter, the air ambulance team, and hospital staff who continue to support and contribute to the care of the girls.
“We would also like to thank the residents of Hart Street, in particular the two families who gave our daughter shelter in their homes, in the immediate aftermath of this unprecedented and hideous attack. Your kindness and compassion will never be forgotten.
“We welcome the guilty verdict but also realise this is only the first step on the road to justice. We welcome the public inquiry and believe that true justice can only be achieved by preventing anything like this from happening again. We ask for privacy and respect, as we focus on repairing the harm caused, this incident will not define us as a family, and we are confident our daughter will continue to grow in strength as we rebuild our lives.”
“We are glad that the guilty plea was announced to stop the anguish for all the families. We are looking forward to justice being done. We would like to thank the emergency services and all the other organisations and individuals that have offered support and kindness throughout this tragic time.”
“The sights and sounds that day were so traumatic to all, the families, the neighbours, the services and of course our children. This will forever be with us and our thoughts will remain with the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie who although our daughter didn’t know, now thinks and prays for them often.”
“Although the horrific events will always stay with us, we now hope to be able to move forward as a family to enjoy happier times. We would like to like to thank everyone for the love and support we have received during this difficult time.”
“Horrific incidents like this should unite society and not cause a divide amongst them, and remind everyone that there is more good than bad in the world.”
“Following the horrific events at the Hart Space on July 29th, the bravery and strength that our two daughters have shown has kept us going, in stark contrast to the cowardice displayed by Axel Rudakubana.
“We will continue to support and guide them through their psychological recovery, love them unconditionally and continue to grow stronger as a family.
“We welcome the public enquiry and wish to understand how the failings that have been discovered will be addressed.”
“Whilst I’m glad we haven’t had to sit through the pain of a trial and reliving that awful day, what happened that day will stay with us forever. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped and supported those of us effected by the tragedy.”